Wine and Chocolate
by thexbluexrose
Summary: Bella Swan is the new head chocolatier at Amy's Chocolate Factory. Edward Cullen owns the esteemed Cedar Creek Winery. What happens when Bella is persuaded to sing at one of Edward's exclusive wine tastings? Will they go together like wine and chocolate?
1. A Little Pizzazz

**hello people of the world and possibly neptune! in case you didnt figure it out yet this story is called wine and chocolate. all human cuz i just love that. heres the list of characters, occupations, and all that good stuff**

**Bella Swan(23)- head chocolatier at Amy's Chocolate Factory**

**Edward Cullen(25)- co owner of Cedar Creek Winery**

**Alice Cullen(23)- co owner of All That Pizzazz**

**Rosalie Hale(24)- co owner of All That Pizzazz**

**Jasper Hale(25)- co owner of Cedar Creek Winery**

**Emmet Cullen(26)- owns Anvil Pub and Grille**

**disclaimer: i dont own twilight or any of its characters... i dont even own Cedarburg or any of its stores... all i own is an awesome jewelery box that i made in tech-ed that got a C! i thought it deserved a B!**

Cedarburg was such a cute town. The shops were all small, there were people walking along the street, and every building looked like it came out of a history book.

I had just arrived in Wisconsin ---after a long drive from Washington I might add--- and I was pleasantly surprised. I had no idea what to expect when I was offered head chocolatier at Amy's Chocolate Factory; you never hear anything about Wisconsin, ever. But this quaint little town suited me perfectly. It was like my own little Hollywood movie set.

Now, all I had to do was find Alice, my pixie roommate from college. She owned this place called All That Pizzazz and offered to let me stay with her and her friend.

There it was, right next to Tomaso's Pizza (I had no desire to go in _there_.) This place seemed _so_ Alice. The window display was full of bright colors, unique gifts, and was perfectly organized--- an Alice trade mark. Even the signboard screamed her name.

Quickly, I parallel parked, got out of my rusty, 1950's truck ---which had barely survived the trip--- and walked into the store. The interior was even brighter than the window (if that was even possible) and was much bigger than it looked. There were at least three rooms (that I could see) and each was organized in perfect unity. A lot of the items were totally Alice, but some didn't quite fit her personality; they seemed a little more subdued.

As soon as I walked through the door, I heard a squeal and saw a little black, spiky-haired head run to me from the register in record time.

"Bella! I didn't think you were coming 'til next week!"

"Well, I thought I would surprise you," I said, hugging the little pixie back. "But I thought you went to Johnson and Wales for cooking."

"I went for the business end of food, which applies here quite nicely," she replied, and soon as she let go, she shot off bouncing in a total Alice-like fashion. "Oh my gosh, since you came early we can decorate your room! We got the comforter and sheets a few days ago and the mattress should be coming today and you have your basic furniture, but it really needs a new color and we can do so much to make it look awesome! This is gonna be so much fun! Rose!"

If I hadn't known her for five years, I wouldn't have been able to keep up. Once she had finished, a young blonde approached us. Her golden locks curled down her back, a red spaghetti-strap top hinted at an impressive figure, her impossibly long legs were accentuated by black leggings under a denim mini skirt and black stilettos, and her ice blue eyes were piercing. I immediately took a hit on my self-esteem, as I'm sure most women did.

"Bella, this is Rosalie, my co-owner slash roommate. Rose, this is Bella, the new chocolatier and our new roommate." As Alice introduced us, Rosalie shook my hand and smiled warmly.

"It's nice to meet you, Bella," she greeted, and I knew we would be good friends.

"You too, Rosalie."

"Call me Rose," she requested.

"Okay, Rose," I agreed. "I see you've been able to balance Alice's Aliceness in here."

Rose laughed. "It was not an easy feat, let me tell you."

We both stood there laughing until Alice interrupted us. "Well, now that we're all friends, let's decorate! I got some stuff here and saved it for you, Bella." Then she ran to a back room and came back with some wooden plaques and a big, blue paper star. "We decided that your room just needs a little... pizzazz." Then she showed me the plaques.

One of them said, "Careful... or you'll end up in my novel." That one made me chuckle. Even though I was a chocolatier, I loved to write. Another said, "Chocolate keeps me sane... and it's cheaper than therapy." I loved that one. The last one said, "Believe in the power of every thought."

"These are awesome, Alice!" I gave her another quick hug and then she turned to the girl at the register.

"Kasey, will you be alright without us?" she called.

A tall brunette with blond highlights looked up. "Yes, I'll be alright. Will you be back later?"

"No, we'll be out the rest of the day." With that, the three of us set off through the town.

After we put the plaques and star in my truck, we went to was this old building that looked kind of like a mill. The outer walls were made of limestone, like they would have been a hundred years ago.

Of course, though the stairs were quite stable, I just had to trip on the last step. I managed to catch myself on the rail, but not before Rose was set into a fit of giggles.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Rose," Alice remarked suddenly. "Bella's an incurable klutz, so don't freak out if she falls down a lot."

That set Rose off into more giggles, and I wasn't sure how much more I could take. "Okay, let's stop making jokes at my expense and just go shopping," I snapped.

As soon as we walked in, I felt like I was in another, smaller town. The walls were lined with little shops, and some of the merchandise was even outside the doors. "Where do we start?" I was baffled by how they fit so many stores into one building.

"Well, let's stop in the Robin's Nest first," Rosalie suggested. "They have some really cute stuff and I need some more Burt's Bees."

We all agreed, so into the Robin's Nest we went. This first store was very dainty, but I liked it. There were lots of little trinkets scattered around, and there was even a little section for Burt's Bees. I went with Rose over there, getting the feeling that I wouldn't find anything for decorating.

As soon as I got to her, my eyes were drawn to the bottom shelf. On it was a blue and white, miniature tea set. The cups and tea pot were elongated, and they had gold colored handles. They were adorned with several little, painted pink roses, as well as the sugar dish, creamer, and dray. It was one of the most elegant I had ever seen.

"Did you find something, Bella?" Rose asked, pulling me out of my mesmerization.

"Yes," I said, picking u the little tea set. "Not to decorate, though. This would be a perfect addition to my collection." I carefully looked under the tray to find that it was only $16.

"I didn't know you collected tea sets." Alice had suddenly appeared next to me. "That is really pretty," she admitted while fingering one of the cups.

"Only miniatures," I replied. "I've been collecting since high school. I left most of them with Charlie when I went to Denver, though."

"Well, I think you should get it," concluded Alice. "Besides, there's nothing much for decorating in here anyway."

I made my way to the register to make my purchase. "If you're going to be in here doing more shopping, I can hold on to this until you're ready to leave," the woman behind the counter offered kindly. "I'll just need your name and cell number."

"That would be wonderful, thank you." I then gave her my name and number while she wrote it down on the box. We then left to explore the rest of the settlement.

**well......... whadya think? i know its kinda weird that Bella collects mini-tea sets but i do that and it will come into play later. trust me :) now all you have to do is review! not a very hard job... just click the little button and tell me what you think! i will give you some genuine wisconsin cheddar... or whatever kind of genuine wisconsin cheese you want! **

**~ORD~**


	2. Fortunate Disasters

**hello again! thanks to all who favorited, alerted, and reviewed for last chapter! it really made me happy! so happy that i decided to update sooner than i had planned. a couple of people were wondering where edward was and let me tell you now that he is in this chapter. i have not abandoned him. just rememer to review! if i get to 5+ all who reviewed will recieve virtual wisconsin cheese... whatever kind you would like.**

**disclaimer: i dont own twilight or cedarburg or any of the shops mentioned in the following chapter**

Exploring the rest of the settlement went by without much event. We had a lot of fun in the cramped vintage clothing store, trying on all the hats and even some of the dresses. Alice insisted on buying me one dress, despite my arguments. It was really a pretty dress: off-white, floor lenght, and sleeveless with pastel green embroidered flowers near the bottom; I jsut wasn't used to people spending money on me.

We managed to convince the sales woman to hold onto it until we finished, and then we were off again. On the third floor, we went into a shop filled with miniature furniture and other things that were fit for a doll house, along with a few seasonal decorations.

"It's like a little fairy world," I marveled while admiring a tiny grand piano on one of the shelves.

"You fit right in, Alice." Rose's remark set us into more quiet laughter until i noticed a candle. It was a large, purple block with fairies carved on all four sides. It smelled like lavendar, and I soon fell in love with it.

"It's gorgeous," Alice agreed from behind me. "I'd be afraid to burn it."

Just then, the owner walked up to us, noticing our fascination with her cancles. "When you burn it, the carvings won't melt," she informed us. "It's thick enough that when it's lit, the outside stays solid. This is what it looks like when it's lit and had burned down a little." She then showed us a picture on the box; the candle was glowing from the inside.

"I think i'll get the purple one and the green one for you, Alice," I decided, unable to resist giving her a gift.

"Oh, thank you Bella!" she squealed. "The green one will go perfectly in our living room!"

I made my purchase, and then we left, only stopping so we oculd go into this fair trade store. "Really, Bella, you're going to have to get used to us spending money on you," Rose chided after buying me a beautiful teal Ecuadorian scarf.

"Well, I can't help it," I complained. "You've already bought me a dress and a scarf _and_ you're letting me stay in your house and all I have for you is a candle!"

She chuckled and then came up with a solution. "You can make it up in chocolate with your employee discount."

I laughed--- we seemed to be doing that a lot as of late--- and gave in. Then we headed back downstairs.

"Let's go through La Diva," Alice proposed. "I don't really like it that much, but it's an easier way to get to that pottery store." So, we went through La Diva--- or more like La White Trash--- and down a short flight of steps. We were then in a little room with tons of homemade pottery.

"There's not much in this room," Rose told me. "The good stuff is in the main room."

Once we got in the main room, I was taken aback. This room had every wall covered in handmade pots and bowls. I found one that was particularly interesting. It was a dark, multicolored vase. I bought it on the spot, along with a smaller one for Rose.

After we finished in there, we headed down the stairs so we could get to lunch. Alice and Rose were already down and waiting for me when I missed the last step and began falling.

I expected to fall flat on my face, consequently breaking my new vase; instead, a warm pair of arms wrapped around me. I looked kup to thank whoever had saved me, but was rendered speechless. I looked into the most beautiful emerald green eyes. They had me captivated, but not quite enough to keep me from noting the rest of his features. His face was slightly angular, with a strong jaw and full lips. His bronze hair looked kind of windswept. I had never seen such a glorious face in all my life.

"Wouldn't want to break that new vase, now, would we," he murmured, his voice smooth like velvet.

"Thank you," I managed to get out as my face colored up at my inevitable klutziness. "I'm Bella, by the way."

He straightened me up and then released me. "Pleasure to meet you, Bella. I'm Edward," he said, that velvet voice stealing the breath from my very lungs.

I looked over to see Rose and Alice staring at us, both wearing mischevous smiles. "Come on, Bella," Alice called.

"I have to go," I told the man, Edward. "it was nice to meet you." Then i scampered off to the girls, glancing back at him once to see a bewildered look on his face.

Maybe clumsiness could be a gift.

(EPOV)

_Crash!_

I looked over from the wine bar across the room to see a bottle smashed on the floor and a young college student with a huge gash in her arm. Soon as I saw that, I rushed over to her.

"What happened?" I asked, taking the girl's arm and inspecting the wound. It wasn't too deep, but it was quite large.

"The wine bottle fell on my arm and they broke," she sobbed. "I think sokme of the glass got in my arm, but I'm not sure."

"Jasper, can you get me some cotton padding and then take..."

"Micole," the girl whispered.

"Micole to the ER? I'll help clean up here."

"Sure," Jasper answered. Jasper was my business partner and good friend, but I spent more time at our Cedar Creek Winery than he did.

"How did this happen?" I turned back to Micole.

"Well, I was walking past and I think someone bumped into the bottle on the other side and it fell on my arm and shattered," she stammered.

Jasper was back in an instant, and he took MIcole's arm from me, wrapped it in the cotton padding, and escorted her to his car to get her to the hospital.

As soon as they left, one of the employees came forward with a roll of paper towels. "Thank you," I said as gratefully as I could with the irritation I felt at falling wine bottles. "Let's get this cleaned up." We managed to whipe up most of the wine, but there was still a lot of glass on the floor.

"I'll go get a broom," offered the employee, but I stopped her before she finished.

"No, I'll get it. You stay here and make sure no one steps in the glass. Wouldn't want any more injuries." So I climbed the stairs to the little gathering area to find a broom.

Soon as I reached it, though, my heart stopped. There on the stairs from the pottery shop was the most beautiful woman alive. She had mahogany hair that cascaded past her shoulders. Her slim figure was sheathed in dark jeans and a Les Miserables tee shirt. She was absolutely gorgeous.

Almost as soon as I saw her, though, she missed the last step and nearly fell flat on her face. Next thing I knew, I had wrapped my arms around her, saving her from the floor.

She looked up at me, and I was stunned. She had the warmest chocolate brown eyes I had ever seen. Her face was perfectly angelic, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. She was even more beautiful than I had originally thought.

I wanted to say something witty, but my mind went blank. "Wouldn't want to break that new vase, now, would we." That was all I could think of. I probably sounded like a complete idiot.

"Thank you," she stammered, her cheeks turning a darker shade of rose. "I'm Bella, by the way." Her voice was like melted chocolate, so sweet and rich.

"Pleasure to meet you, Bella," I said as I set her to right. "I'm Edward." I released her, though all I wanted to do was hold her closer.

Just then, she looked over to my sister Alice and Jasper's sister Rosalie who both had very mischevous grins on their faces. "Come on, Bella," Alice called.

"I have to go," Bella whispered. "It was nice to meet you." And then she trotted off to Alice and Rose, glancing back to me once.

People always said that things happen for a reason. Maybe that crashing wine bottle was my own fortunate disaster.

**so how was that? edward's here! you kno what to do... review and you get some genuine wisconsin cheese. please! as long as you review i'll be happy... i dont care if its nice or not--- unless its a death threat, then i would prefer you to keep it to yourself. adios!**

**~ORD~**


	3. Old Friends and a New Mattress

**happy memorial day everyone! im reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyyy sorry i havent updated in a month but ive been really busy w/ school and other stuff and for some reason i just took a really long time writing this chapter. and im still nott too happy w/ the amount of reviews. all i want is at least five and all i've gotten is four per chapter! maybe cheese isnt good enough... how about some homemade apple pie? would that make you people review? i really want to know what you think cuz i cant read minds like edward (wish i could sometimes).**

**disclaimer: i dont own twilight or cedarburg or anything in this story except for the plot. and even that is subject to change.**

** longest chapter yet, so why are u still reading the authors note? go read the story!**

(BPOV)

"So, how is Forks these days?" Alice asked. We were at lunch now, just chatting over our soup. "It's been a while since I came to visit."

This question was a little hard because I knew where she was going with this. "Forks is fine. Rainy, as usual. Oh, and Charlie told me to say hi for him." Charlie was my dad, and he absolutely adored Alice.

She smiled. "Well, when you call him, tell him I say hi back." Her face got a little more serious; I knew what was coming. "How are things with Tyler? Last time I saw you, you two were practically inseperable."

Rose looked slightly confused. "Who's Tyler?"

I thought it would be best by starting with honesty. "Tyler was my boyfriend in Forks." I just hoped I could leave it at that.

But, of course, she picked up on the key word. "Was?' I didn't know her that long, but I knew she would be a little more perceptive than Alice. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I realize we're not that close yet."

"No, it's alright," I assured her. "I need to get it out in the open anyway. Tyler and I started dating when we were seniors in high school. When I went to college, he temporarily moved to Denver so we could stay together.

"After I graduated, we moved back to Forks and rarely left eachother's sides. But, in the last few months, he seemed more distant." I had to pause for a minute. This was where it really hurt.

_*Flashback*_

_Tyler had left one of his birthday presents at my house. I threw a big party for him, and I think he enjoyed it. I was at his door, about to knock, but he always told me to come in without knocking, so that's what I did._

_What I saw stunned me to silence._

_There was Lauren Mallory, laying on the couch with her legs wrapped around _my_ boyfriend. He didn't seem to mind. They were both moaning like they were really enjoying themselves. It took me a minute to realize that Tyler's shirt was on the floor, along with all of Lauren's clothing, except for her bra and underwear._

_When their lips finally separated, she just moved hers to his chest and he looked up, finally seeing me. Once his eye's locked on mine, he just climbed off the little skank and sauntered over to me like he was the most important guy in the world._

_Then he started talking to me like nothing had ever happened. "Hey, babe. What brings you here?"_

_"You left this at my house," I said as I shoved the box at him._

_Then, he put his hands on my hips and teased the sliver of exposed skin there. "Don't be like that," he murmered. "Maybe I can make you feel better." Then he started kissing me and slipping his fingers into the waisteband of my jeans. I just pulled back and slapped him._

_"What would you want with me," I spat, "when you seem to be getting plenty of action from Lauren." I said her name like a little kid would say a bad word._

_At the sound of her name, the slut slunk up and put her arms around _my_ boyfriend in a way that was more suited for a strip club. "Come on, Ty," she purred. "I can do so much more to you than that little nobody can." Then she ran her hands down his chest and towards his jeans and started unbutting them. He just started kissing her neck, moving his hands to undo her bra and his lips towards her giant plastic chest like I wasn't even there._

_That killed me. He didn't even care. "Have fun with your little whore, Tyler." Then I ran towards my apartment, not caring about the rain; it would just wash my tears away._

_*End Flashback*_

By the end of my story, I was nearly crying, and Rose and Alice's mouths were hanging open.

"Oh, Bella," Alice finally managed to say. "I'm so sorry. I swear, if I ever see that boy again..." She left the threat open.

Rose turned and gave me a caring hug. "I'm really sorry. He obviously didn't know what he was giving up." We had finished lunch and were walking down the street.

"Thanks," I said. "It's kinda nice to finally tell someone." A tear finally slid down my cheek, and the three of us ended up on a group hug in the middle of the sidewalk, earning us some sidelong glances.

"So," I said after we broke apart. "Do I have a bookshelf?"

"Shoot!" Alice exclaimed. "I forgot how much of a bookworm you are. I guess we'll have to stop at the furniture store before we go home."

We all laughed and headed towards the furniture store.

(RPOV)

"Did you see the way he looked at her?" Alice whispered. Bella was talking to the salesman about a bookshelf she found, so Alice and I were sitting on a couch gossiping about what happened before lunch.

"I know!" I whispered back. "I don't know her that well, but she and Edward are made for eachother. She seemed really cut up about about what happened with Tyler, and I think he's just the person to put her back together."

Alice nodded. "I think you're right. Time for a little matchmaking," she squealed. Then Bella started walking back to us.

"I have a plan." Alice leaned closer to let me in on her plan. "It has to do with the mattress. Just follow my lead." This sounded like it would be fun.

(EPOV)

Jasper and I had just gotten home from the winery. After the whole fiasco with the crashing wine bottle and the emergency room, we decided to leave early.

_Throw it away_

_Forget yesterday_

_We'll make the great escape_

"Hello." Emmet always made fun of my ringtone, but I love the song so he could just deal.

"Hi, Edward, it's Alice." Great. That little pixie probably had some form of girly torture lined up for me. "The mattress company delivered our mattress before we got home and Rose and I can't get it inside. Can you and Jazz come help us?"

Well that didn't sound too bad. "Sure. We'll be right there."

"Thank you!" she squealed. "See ya in a few!" With that, she hung up.

"Hey, Jazz," I called down the hall. "Alice and Rose need some help getting a mattress in their house and I said we would get it."

"I love how you jsut go ahead and agree without even asking me what I think," he yelled back.

"Oh stop being such a girl and come on. You know you want to see my sister." Jasper happened to be dating my sister; actually, he was about to propose to her.

Suddenly, he appeared next to me. "You're absolutely right. Let's go."

It was a nice day, so we walked the few houses down that they lived. Once we got there, I stopped dead in my tracks. There she was, the same girl who had nearly fallen down the stairs and was able to reach my inner nervous, hormonal teenaged boy.

"Hey, Bella!" Jasper called down the drive. "I didn't think you were coming til next week."

She just smiled and met him halfway. "I decided to surprised everyone. How have you been?"

Somehow, Jasper knew Bella. I decided to figure out how by the end of the day. "Good, good," he replied. "Don't tell Alice, but I'm gonna propose soon."

"That's awesome! Congratulations!" Then her eyes traveled to me. "Oh, um, hi Edward." She seemed kinda nervous.

"Hello, Bella," I greeted. I suddenly felt really self-conscious. "So, Alice tells me you need help moving a mattress."

"Oh, uh, yes," she stammered, blushing the prettiest shade of pink. "Right over hear." She then led us to the mattress in the middle of the doorway.

"Well," Jasper started. "Let's get this thing out of the way so Bella doesn't have to squeeze her pretty self through this tiny opening." Bella just blushed even more and looked at the ground. I couldn't help that twinge of jealousy from Jasper's words, even if he was practically engaged to my sister. I think I was starting to believe in love at first sight.

(BPOV)

Edward looked so strong helping Jasper carry my mattress into my room. I found it very hot the way his muscles flexed through his t-shirt as he adjusted his hold on it. _Stop it, Bella! You're not even over your cheating ex! _But I couldn't help it. He was just so unbelievably hot.

Once the mattress was secured on my bed frame, Alice practically attacked Jasper.

"Jazzy!" she squealed as she jumped into his awaiting arms. "I missed you!"

He gave her a little peck on the lips. "I missed you too, darlin'."

That made my heart lurch. I probably wouldn't feel loved like that for a long time, if ever. I walked over to the kitchen counter and leaned against it. Edward came to stand next to me.

"You okay?" he asked, concern thick in his voice. That kind of surprised me, but at least someone cared. That had to be a first, even before Tyler cheated.

"I'm fine," I lied. At least he didn't know me well enough to completely see through me. It looked like he couls read my eyes pretty well though, because he gave me that I'm-not-buying-that look. "I just remembered something sad that happened a little while ago." That was mostly true, since what I had thought of related to Tyler.

"Well, if you ever want to talk to someone less hyper than Alice, you can always come to me." He was so sweet. I could tell he wanted to know what I had thought of, but he was going to wait for me to come to him. That was brobably one of the nicest things a guy had ever done for me, even if I barely knew him.

"Okay," I replied. "I may take you up on that one day." I really felt like I could talk to him and he wouldn't laugh or poke fun at me.

"I have an idea!" Alice exclaimed. I had forgotten her and Jasper for a minute. "Why don't Rose and I go to Sal's and bring back a couple pizza's for all of us."

"that sounds good," Rose agreed, coming out from what I expected was her room.

"I was supposed to pick Emmet up from Anvil, so I'll go with you." That just left Edward and I. Alone. For at least twenty minutes. For some reason, I really liked this plan.

"Alright then. Edward, you can stay here and keep Bella company while we're gone." Alice didn't even give us a choice, even though I didn't mind at the moment. As soon as this was all settled, the three of them left, leaving just Edward and me in a stunned silence.

"Even after knowing her for five years, I never get used to that," I said, mostly to myself.

"I know what you mean," Edward agreed. "Well, we have about a half an hour before they come back with the pizza. How would you like to spend it?"

(EPOV)

"Well, we have about a half an hour before they come back with the pizza. How would you like to spend it?" I hoped she would talk to me about why she looked so sad a minute ago, but I wasn't going to make her if she didn't want to.

She thought for a minute, then came up with an answer. "Since I'm assuming you know your way around here better than I do, I guess you could give me the grande tour de house."

I chuckled and offered her my arm, which she took. When her skin touched mine, a shock of electricity ran through me. "Right this way, Madame," I said in a pompous British accent. She just laughed and let me lead her around the house. Her laugh was more musical than her voice, like peeling bells. I would do anything to make that sound escape her lips again. We then proceeded from room to room like we were on a tour of some fancy palace.

Once we were finished, she leaned against the counter again, and I went to stand next to her. I had come to crave the sound of her laughter, and I figured out a way to hear it again. "So tell me. Are you ticklish?" I asked mischevously.

She looked kind of confused. "Very. Why?" Then realization dawned on her. "No. No, please don't." But she was jsut a little too late because I had already started ticling her sides like crazy.

"No, stop!" she gasped between giggles. "Please! Stop!" More giggles.

Then I just stopped. I stared into her eyes, those impossibly beautiful brown eyes. We both unconsciously leaned in until our foreheads touched. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as did I.

Just then, Alice thought it would be a wonderful time to come back. She, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmet walked into the kitchen and stopped. Both our eyes snapped open, and I took a step away from her.

"Are we interrupting something?" Emmet asked pointedly. I had a feeling that Alice was playing matchmaker again, but for the first time I was glad that she was.

"No," Bella said quietly, her blush giving her away despite her efforts to hide it. "No, you're not. How have you been, Emmet? I feel like it's been years."

Her attempt to change the subject to something less akward worked. "I'm great. And it has been years, Bella." Then he caught her up in one of his bear hugs as I like to call them.

"Emmet, let her breathe," I teased before he set her back down. "Okay, so am I the only one who just met Bella today?"

"You and me both," Rosalie said from behind Emmet. "Well, now we're all good friends," she shot a knjowing glance my way, causing me to color up a bit, "so let's dig into this pizza!"

We all laughed at this comment and, as she put it, "dug into the pizza."

**so how was that? good? bad? iffy? whatever you think review!!!!!!! unless its a death threat. then keep it to yourself. remember: virtual homemade apple pie for you if you review! and again im sorry for not updating. i'll try to write the next chapter faster than this one. chao!**

**~ORD~**


	4. Painting my Heart

**finally im back!!!!!!! im reeeeeeaaaaaaaaaalllllllyyyyyyyy sorry for not updating in like a month but i had a lot of end of the year stuff and i just procrastinate too much!!!!!!!!!! again reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllyyyyyyyyyy sorry!**

**ive decided to list off the people who reviewed for each chapter. so reviewers for chapter 3: xcoffesionsandtwilightismex, pixiedancer22, sprinter1, and TwilightFreak84. unfortunately, they are the only people who have reviewed for the story, every chapter. so review and you get some virtual pie! and if you dont have an account or forgot to log in, review anyway cuz i allow anonymous reviews!!!!!!!**

**so here's the next chapter! yay! its very fluffy and cute (at least i think so) and i hope you like it! and if nicole henson is reading, you know what the dream is about ;)**

**disclaimer: i dont own twilight, its characters, cedarburg, or the house that Bella, Alice, and Rosalie live in. i have no idea who owns the house. i do, however, own the plotline and an awesome book of piano music by Yiruma!!!!!!!! he is amazing!!!!!!**

* * *

BPOV

The next day, Alice, Rose, and I spent three hours picking out a color for my room. We eventually settled on one called tranquil aqua; it matched all the stuff we bougt yesterday.

The boys came over for dinner again, this time to Chinese take out. Somehow, the innocent conversation turned to me and the new paint color.

"So, Jazz," Alice began as we sat around the table, trying to eat with chop-sticks. "Do both you and Edward have to go into the winery tomorrow?"

Jasper looked at her, slightly confused. "No, only one of us has to be there," he answered. "Why?"

"Well, Rose and I have to go to the warehouse in Germantown to pick out the Halloween merchandise, and Bella needs help painting her room." Alice gave me a scheming glance. "So I was wondering if one of you could come and help her tomorrow."

She then turned to look expectantly at Edward, who was seated next to me with beef lo mein half-way in his mouth. "Sure, I can help," he replied after chewing and swallowing his food. "What time do you want me over?"

"Great! How about you come around nineish?"

I started choking a little on my sweet and sour chicken and Emmett, who was on my other side, slapped me on the back. "Why so early?" I managed to gasp.

It was Rose's turn to answer. "Well, if you start early, you end early. We want to be able to move your furniture in tonight." Then she stared at Edward. "Plus it will give you and Edward a chance to get to know eachother."

I had a feeling that Alice and Rose were playing matchmaker with me. The only problem was that I didn't think I was ready for another relationship. I was still getting over the whole Tyler thing, after all. Other than that, I was perfectly fine with it, considering who I was being matched up with.

EPOV

Last night, we-- or more like Alice and Rose-- decided that I was going to help Bella paint her room. I had no problem with that; I just wish Bella and I could have had more say in the matter.

The next day, I walked over to their house at nine in the morning and let myself in-- I knew where they always hid the key. I quickly walked into Bella's room and saw her sprawled across her mattress on the floor; I guess Alice thought it would be easier if the bed frame was apart and out of the room while we painted.

Then, Bella mumbled something-- for a moment, I thought she was awake, until she rolled over and mumbled something else. She must've been having one of those dreams right before you wake up.

"No, stop," she said, a little more clearly. "You'll get wood on your stick!" What the heck was she dreaming about? Whatever it was, it made me laugh a little bit as I kneeled down by her head.

"Stop it, Peter," she said. "You're under the influence..." Under the influence... of what?

"Under the influence of what, Bella?" I asked. She really had me captivated with this one, simple, hilarious dream.

"Under the influence... of... fire," she mumbled, then rolled over again. I decided to let her dream her crazy dream so I could make her breakfast. I don't know why that desicion excited me so much; maybe because I really wanted to do something for the beautiful girl sprawled across a mattress on the floor. Who knows?

A quick look in their fridge told me that they had a pack of bacon and an open bag of mini chocolate chips. I hoped Bella liked chocolate chip pancakes.

BPOV

_I was in Narnia with Prince Caspian, Peter, Susan, and Edmund. Lucy was with that fawn dude. I don't know how I got there, but we were all seated around a bonfire and Caspian was poking it with his marshmallow stick._

_"No, stop," I told him. "You'll get wood on your stick!" Everyone looked at me really funny._

_Then this random guy named Paul came out of the forest and decided to make fun of my comment. "What the crap! That makes no sense!" Then he walked back into the forest._

_Peter decided to pick up little twigs, stick them in the fire, and then throw them in the woods. Who does that? Why would he do that? Doesn't he know that the woods are made of trees which are made of wood which _burns_? _

_"Stop it, Peter, I said. "You're under the influence..."_

_"Under the influence of what, Bella?" he asked in a voice that sounded like velvet and didn't fit him at all._

_"Under the influence... of... fire," I told him. He was quickly on his was to becoming a pyromaniac._

_We all just kinda sat there for a minute, just staring at the fire._

I slowly woke up to the sound of something on the frying pan and the smell of bacon. I rolled over, meaning to stand up, but I ended up meeting the floor instead. "Ow," I muttered as I sat up, rubbing where my head hit the floor.

Then I remembered the dream I'd had; it was by far one of the craziest. I stood up and walked to the kitchen to find Edward flipping pancakes and cooking bacon on my George Foreman grill. I just stood rooted the the spot, wishing I had a camera to capture this unlikely yet amusing sight, when he turned around and greeted me with a crooked smile that melted my heart.

"Well, good morning sleepy head," he said in the irresistably hot, velvety voice of his. _Stop it, Bella! You're not even over your ex yet! Don't go crushing on your best friend's brother!_ "Do you like chocolate chip pancakes?" he asked. As if he needed to.

"I love them," I answered as I walked towards him and seated myself on the counter next to him. "Anything with chocolate, really." That was why I had become a pastry chef, so I could work with chocolate.

He seemed to contemplate that for a minute while flipping the last pancake onto a plate. "So if I gave you a chocolate covered potato chip, would you eat it?"

I laughed at the oddity of this suggestion before answering. "I probably would." He laughed along with me while taking the bacon off the Foreman grill. "I didn't know you can make bacon on a Foreman grill."

He grabbed the plates of food and walked over to the table with me in his wake. "Well, you can. It's easier than using a frying pan, plus it's less mess." Once he set the plates on the table-- which had been set up like a hotel-- he pulled my chair out and gestured for me to sit.

"Such the gentleman," I commented; I wasn't used to this kind of treatment. With Tyler, I had a more self-service life.

After seating himself next to me, he said, "My parents raised an old-fashioned boy. What would you like to drink?"

I quickly looked over my many options and chose my favorite. "Can I have grape juice, please?" I couldn't help but be polite when I was sitting next to, pretty much, a knight in shining armor.

"Of course you may," he answered as he poured some grape juice in my glass and then his own. "A personal favorite of mine. Help yourself to some pancakes and bacon."

We both selected our food, and, for a moment, the only sound was knives and forks as we ate. We chatted a little about the weather and other trivial things.

"This had to be the best breakfast I've ever had," I said once I finished my last, amazing chocolate chip pancake.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed them," he said after draining the last of his grap ejuice. Somehow, even though he ate twice as much as I did, he managed to finish before me. "My mom used to make these all the time."

"She must have been an amazing cook then, because these pancakes were absolutely awesome."

He chuckled at my rapture. "I'll tell her that next time I see her. Now, why don't you get dressed so we can start painting?"

EPOV

She nodded and walked into her room to change. As I cleared the table and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, I wondered what Bella could have been dreaming about earlier this morning.

Eventually, my mind veered off that path, taking me to the wonderful thought of how beautiful she looked when she was sleeping-- not that she didn't look gorgeous every time I saw her; there was just something so fascinating about watching her sleep, so peaceful and tranquil.

_Stop it, _my inner voice yelled at me. _She's your sister's best friend! And you sound like a stalker, watching her sleep!_ I knew that was true, but I didn't feel like a stalker, just a man madly in love with a beautiful, amazing woman.

Wait, madly in love? I didn't even know her! She probably wasn't even interested in me. She was way too good for me anyway.

"Are you just going to stand there, staring at that plate?" Bella said, coming up behind me. Her sudden presence made me jump, causing the plate to slide from my hand and crash to the floor.

As soon as it hit the floor, the plate shattered, and her face filled with remorse. "I'm so sorry," she said, kneeling down to pick up the pieces. "I should have given you more warning before I sprang up like that. What's Alice going to say when she finds out I broke one of her plates!"

I couldn't believe it: she thought this was her fault. "Relax," I responded instinctively, kneeling next to her to help clean up. "I broke the plate, not you. I guess I was so caught up in my thoughts that you startled me when you came up." No need to tell her what those thoughts were.

When I looked up, our faces were merely inches apart. Unconsciously, my hand went to her face, and I let it rest on her cheek. She closed her eyes and turned her head so that her mouth was nearly touching my palm.

Just one twitch of my hand and my lips would be on hers. But she probably had a boyfriend back in Washington. That must have been why she looked so sad when she saw Alice and Jasper together; she saw the love between them and missed her own love.

"We should get to painting," I muttered. When she looked into my eyes, I htought I saw something there. Longing? Sadness?

I started picking up the pieces, but she put her hand over mine, effectively stopping it. "Let me take care of this," she said with a gentle smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "You go get the paint set up."

Silently, I nodded, stood up, and walked towards her room. One look back, however, showed a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Once I entered the room, my mind ran wild. When she touched me, it felt like an electric shock that warmed my whole body. And then I knew there was no denying it any more. I was falling for Bella Swan, falling hard and fast.

BPOV

When I looked up from the shattered ceramic, I found that our faces were merely inches apart. I stared into his impossibly green eyes, finding that they had tiny gold flecks in them.

Slowly, his hand moved up and rested on my cheek. Where his skin touched mine, I felt a jolt, like an electric shock, that spread through my body and warmed every cell. I closed my eyes and turned my face into his palm, reveling in the feeling of his skin on mine.

If I moved my head just a little bit, my lips would be on his. I tried to imagine how it would feel, our lips moving together, how his hand would run through my hair.

All too soon, his hand left my face and i realized that I had convinced myself that maybe Edward was feeling the same things I was.

"We should get to painting," he muttered, and when our eyes met, I thought I saw sadness and onging in his. Maybe I was just fooling myself again.

He started to pick up the pieces, but I put my hand over his, trying to ignore the shock, to stop him. "Let me take care of this," I murmured with what I hoped was a convincing smile. "You go get the paint set up."

He nodded and walked away towards my room. Once he couldn't see me, I let the tear that I had held back escape.

When Edward's hand cupped my cheek, his face so close to mine, I felt loved and protected.

But I would never be loved like that.

No one would ever love someone as broken as me.

Quickly, before Edward could come back out to find me, I cleaned up the broken plate and put it on the counter, not knowing what Alice would want me to do with it. Then I walked into my room to find that he had put the paint into the plastic containers and was securing two paint rollers.

"There you are," he said as he turned and flashed that crooked grin that made my heart soar. "Since it looks like Alice made you do all the taping last night, we can get straight to the roolers."

I laughed at his assumptioun, which he took as a confirmation, as he handed me a rooler and we set to painting on opposite walls.

Somehow, he finished his wall before I did and moved to the one near the door, which happened to be right next to me. I couldn't complain, though; it gave the perfect periferal view of how his muscles flexed and relaxed.

I had stopped trying not to admire the way he looked-- discreatly of course. Is it so wrong to think that your best friend's brother is hotter than Taylor Lautner?

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

After several hours and a very fun paint fight, we were seated on my mattress, covered in paint, playing a game of twenty questions.

We had gotten past all the simple questions-- favorite color, favorite food, etc-- and were getting into the more difficult ones. "What were you dreaming about this morning?" Edward asked.

I blushed and looked at the floor; I must have been talking in my sleep. My mom always made fun of it, but I didn't think I would have to worry too much here.

"Well," I started, "I was in Narnia with all the people except for Lucy. Prince Caspian was poking the fire with a stick and I made a fairly stupid comment, causing this random guy named Paul came and made fun of it. Then Peter decided to throw flaming twigs into the woods, so I told him he was under the influence of fire."

When I was finished, he had a fairly amused look on his face. "Did Caspian get wood on his stick?" He was outright laughing by now. He had heard me talking in my sleep. I just blushed a deeper red and stared intently and my fidgeting hands.

Once he was done laughing at my crazy dream, I said, "So, I guess we're out of questions." I looked up to see him contemplating somehting.

"Can I ask just one more?" I nodded for him to continue. "Do you, um, have a, uh, boyfriend in Washington?"

That hit a weak spot in my armor. I looked down at my hands again. "I did, but we, um, split up a few weeks before I came here." My voice wavered a little bit, and I hoped he didn't ask anything more on the subject.

"Ahh." I could see the curiosity burning behind the concern in his eyes. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'll be here."

"Thanks," I mumbled, and I knew he would be here for me, no matter what. Even though I didn't know it, this man was, slowly but surely, painting my heart.

* * *

**so whadya think? was it any good? as i said before, a review means a virtual piece of my mom's amazing new york apple pie! and anonymous reviews are welcome even though i cant reply to them. and nicole henson, if you are reading this, i expect you to review and tell me how i did. review pleassseee!!**

**~ORD~**

* * *


	5. The Glory of Chocolate

**hello people of fanfiction! i have yet another chapter for you, though it may not be as interesting. its definitely shorter but thats because i just really needed to get it out. my family and i are driving to New York next tuesday so i really wanted to get another chapter to my lovely readers. dont expect anything new all month because i wont have access to a computer all month. i will just have to settle with writing by hand.**

**reviewers for last chapter: Lady Eleanor Boleyn, Twifan1968, TwilightFreak84, xcoffesionsandtwilightismex, and pixiedancer22. remember: a review equals a virtual piece of apple pie and a virtual hug.**

**disclaimer: i dont own twilight, its characters, or any stores/buildings mentioned in this story. all i own is the plot and a lot of packing to do before tuesday.**

* * *

Bella POV

The rest of the week passed by quickly. Whenever Alice or Rose could be spared, they were at the house with me so I wouldn't be lonely all the time. Sometimes they even let me help out at All That Pizazz.

Most of the time, though, I was either arranging my room to my liking or exploring the town more. When I went with Alice and Rose, they had only taken me to a few shops. Now I had enough time to see whichever ones I wanted. Sometimes Edward would show me around, when he didn't have to be at the winery, but usually I went alone.

My favorite shop was Downtown Dough, seeing as I'm a pastry chef and this place was all about baking. Pretty soon I would be on first-name basis with the owners.

Quickly, much to quickly in my opinion, my first day of work approached. I had purposely avoided going into Amy's during my explorations so I could get the full effect on my first day.

As soon as I walked in, I could smell the sugar cooking in the back; that had to be one of my favorite smells ever, ant I was glad that I would be surrounded by it all day, every day.

I walked up to the counter and got the attention of the girl who was setting up different chocolates in the display case. "Can I help you?" she asked, clearly confused at my appearance a half an hour before the shop opened.

"Yes, my name is Bella Swan. I was recently hired," I stammered, not wanting to sound high and mighty by saying what I was hired as.

"Ah, yes!" she exclaimed after realizing who I was. "Well, why don't you come back here and I'll show you the ropes and what you'll be doing."

She opened the counter and ushered me in with a warm smile, and I knew we would get along great. "My name is Angela by the way. Amy was really sorry she couldn't be here, but she called in sick with the flu," she told me while handing me an apron.

Angela showed me around the small work area and where I would work most of the day. "Now, as head chocolatier, you'll get to assign the jobs of the day and help out anyone who needs a hand." After seeing my questioning look, she added, "What that basically means is you'll be telling the rest of the staff which process we get: mixing or molding."

That made a little more sense; except there was one part missing. "What about the decorative stuff?"

"That job is left to you and me, since we both had extra training in the field." I felt my mind ease up a bit at the thought of having someone to help me. "I may be a little back and forth between here, the counter, and anywhere else that needs a little help for the time being, but eventually you'll be able to do that part of the job as well."

By the time she was finished showing me around, the rest of the staff had shown up and we were about ready to open.

Once I got the hand of things, I was able to flit back and forth between my station and others that needed help. All the other employees were really nice and helped me out if I was confused about anything. Even though it was only my first day, I already loved my job.

I found that, with the decorating, I had a lot of freedom. I was given a basic pattern for whatever chocolate that was in front of me, and then I could do whatever I wanted with it. I started getting pretty intricate at one point, and Angela asked me to show her how to do it so ours at least similar. I felt really proud of that, even though I was new, I was helping out people who had been here far longer than I had.

I was really starting to see the glory of chocolate. Chocolate could make the crabbiest old guy crack a smile. Anyone who worked with chocolate daily was naturally happy and amiable.

This job was definitely the one I needed; it was the best kind of work to start to heal a broken heart. I had finally found one of those jobs where you just can't wait to get there. Of course, all jobs would be like that if all jobs worked with chocolate.

* * *

**so how was that? a little short and boring i know but a least i got something out in less than a month. i wont be back til end of july, early august, so dont expect anything until then. if you have a suggestion about what to do in the next chapter (since i have no idea what to do at the moment) put it in a review by july 6. remember to review! they make me very happy!**

**~ORD~**


	6. Invitation

**im back!!!!! sorry bout the time it took to update but, like i said, i was gone all of July and then it took me another week to finish the chapter. this one is much longer than the last one so im very proud.**

**reviewers for chapter 5: sprinter1; xcoffesionsandtwilightismex; pixiedancer22. not a lot of reviews, but thats what i get for writing a boring chapter. i would like more reviews for this one, though. would 7 be too much to ask? reviews really give me confidence and tell me that people actually like what im writing. so if you like this story, please review and tell me so. if not, review and tell me what i could do better.**

**disclaimer: i dont own Twilight, its characters, Amy's Chocolate Factory, or Bella's house. all i own is some amazing polar bear cake from Sendick's**

**

* * *

**

BPOV

September passed fairly quickly and was filled with many awkward moments between me and Edward. Sometimes it felt like he wanted to tell me something or we could be more than friends, but these moments never amounted to anything. Why would he want to be more than friends with me anyway? I'm plain, I'm boring, the list could go on for a while; Tyler proved that much.

Of course Alice and Rose tried to set us up many a time, but all that did was make things more awkward between him and me. We're good friends and all, but there's always this tension, like we both want something more but are afraid of swaying anything for fear that the other doesn't feel the same way.

Before i know it, it was the day before Halloween. I was just cleaning up around Amy's and was about to close up when Edward ran in, slightly out of breath.

"I'm sorry," he gasped in response to my somewhat stunned look. "I wanted to get here before you closed up, but I got tied up at the winery. I need to place an order for tomorrow."

Quickly, I regained my composure and grabbed a pad of paper and a pen to write down his order. "What do you need?"

"Uh..." He seemed to have forgotten what he had come for, then remembered and asked, "Can I have 50 miniature dark chocolates and 45 miniature milk chocolates, please?"

I tried to ignore the questions swarming around my head--- like what he would need so much chocolate for--- and keep up my professional persona. "What time will you need them?"

"I'll pick them up around five."

"Any fillings?"

"No."

"Decorations?"

"Limited."

While I finished writing out his order and closing up, Edward just stared at me, and I thought I saw that trace of longing in his eyes that I sometimes saw when he was looking at me.

Once I was done, he offered to walk home with me, and I couldn't say now to him, what with the way he always dazzles me so he could convince me to do whatever he wanted. So, we walked the fifteen minutes together.

"So," I began, letting the professional air slip away into the twilight, "what's all the chocolate for? It can't be just a gift for your mom." It wasn't a really good joke, but I couldn't think of anything else to say.

Despite the feebleness of my attempted joke, he chuckled and said, "No, I don't think my mom would know what to do with that much chocolate. Jasper and I usually have a wine tasting on most of the major holidays and what's a wine tasting without chocolate?"

I just nodded and pretended like I knew what he was talking about since I've never been to one myself. Just as I was about to ask what kind of people get into these wine tastings, Edward did something that I was very unprepared for.

"I was wondering if, um, if you would like to, uh, to come to the, um, wine tasting tomorrow with, uh, with me." This shocked me into silence for a moment or two. Edward actually seemed nervous. Edward, the picture of perfection and confidence, was stuttering to get through asking me to a wine tasting.

Wait. Was he asking me to go as his date, or would we just go as friends?

My heart sank as that last thought crossed my mind. Of course he would only want to go as friends. What would make him think otherwise? I'm plain, boring Bella, and he's practically a statue of Adonis.

My prolonged silence made him even more nervous, and he rushed to add, "I mean, you don't have to if you have something else planned. It's just that, I meant to ask you weeks ago, but it kept slipping my mind and I didn't get the chance. I really want you to come."

He said the last part almost inaudibly, but I caught it. That quiet statement gave me a glimmer of hope that maybe he liked me more than just as a friend. It also helped me finalize my decision.

"No, I don't have anything going on," I said as we neared Bridge Street. "I'd love to go with you. Just tell me what to wear and when to show up."

His wary smile turned into a huge crooked grin when he looked down at me with those gorgeous green eyes. My expression probably mirrored his as I looked back at him. I felt a slight pressure on my hand and, upon glancing down, found that Edward had taken my hand in his. I didn't mind, though; this was comfortable, not awkward.

"Do you think you could come a little early and bring the chocolates with you? I could pick you up if you wanted."

At this point, I couldn't refuse him anything, so I agreed. "Thanks so much!" He beamed as he said this. "Now, let me warn you that, since tomorrow is Halloween, the tasting will sort of be a masquerade until the end when everyone takes their masks off."

I just nodded and let that sink in when we stopped at my door. Alice was going to have a field day with t his costume, and we only had one night to put it together! Not to mention hair and makeup. This would be one heck of a nightmare for me.

While I pondered the dramas of Alice and costuming, Edward turned towards me and grasped both my hands in his. "Goodnight, mademoiselle," he murmured as he lifted my left hand and gently pressed a kiss to it.

"Goodnight, Edward," I whispered in response while he turned and walked into the twilight. As soon as I entered the house, I rushed towards my best friend's room to let my panic run free. "Alice!"

EPOV

I ran down the street, trying to get to Amy's before Bella closed up. This was the most important thing I had to do today, plus I needed the chocolate for the wine tasting tomorrow.

I had finally reached my destination and saw Bella wiping down the counter through the door. I didn't have time to ponder how beautiful she looked with her silky hair cascading over her shoulders. I just burst through the door and gasped, "I'm sorry. I wanted to get here before you closed up, but I got tied up at the winery. I need to place an order for tomorrow."

She looked sort of stunned at my out-of-breathness, but quickly regained composure and grabbed a notepad and pen. "What do you need?" she asked, putting on a very natural professional air.

"Uh..." I was lost in how my Bella could be so professional and still so beautiful. Wait. My Bella? Since when was she my Bella? I couldn't even think about asking her out without freaking out.

In the moments I thought this, I had forgotten what I came for. I snapped myself out of my little trance and ordered. "Can I have 50 miniature dark chocolates and 45 miniature milk chocolates, please?" I was anything if not polite.

She quickly wrote that down and asked without looking up, "What time will you need them?"

"I'll pick them up around five," I answered.

"Fillings?"

"No."

"Decorations?"

"Limited."

She finished writing my order and continued closing up shop. I just gazed at her perfect form, longing to hold her in my arms. Every now and then she would glance at me, but then she'd turn away quickly and blush a little.

As soon as she was done, I offered to walk home with her, since we live down the street from each other. Once we were out the door, the professional air was lost and she was just Bella. "So, what's all the chocolate for? It can't just be a gift for your mom," she joked.

I chuckled--- it was a pretty good joke--- and said, "No, I don't think my mom would know what to do with that much chocolate. Jasper and I usually have a wine tasting on most of the major holidays, and what's a wine tasting without chocolate?"

She nodded, but I had a feeling she hadn't ever been to a wine tasting and, therefor, didn't know what I was talking about. Now was my chance. I had put this off for weeks; it was now or never. "I was wondering if, um, if you would like to, uh, to come to the, um, wine tasting tomorrow with, uh, with me."

At this stuttering, nervous statement, Bella was shocked into silence. What if she already had plans? What if I was too late? "I mean, you don't have to come if you have something else planned," I rushed to add. "It's just that, I meant to ask you weeks ago, but it kept slipping my mind and I didn't get the chance." Truth was, I was looking for the opportune moment and I kept missing it. "I really want you to come."

I don't think she heard that last part, but she smiled a tiny bit, giving me just a little hope. "No, I don't have anything going on. I'd love to go with you," she said with a smile. "Just tell me what to wear and when to show up."

I felt my face break into a huge crooked grin, which probably mirrored hers as she looked up at me with those beautiful brown eyes. I silently grasped her hand and gave it a light squeeze. She glanced down at our hands intertwined together, but didn't pull away; this didn't feel awkward, but comfortable.

Suddenly, my newborn confidence gave me an idea. "Do you think you could come a little early and bring the chocolates with you? I could pick you up if you wanted."

She nodded in agreement, and I beamed. "Thanks so much! Now, let me warn you that, since tomorrow is Halloween, the tasting will sort of be a masquerade until the end when everyone takes their masks off."

She nodded again as we reached her door, and I guessed that she was thinking about what Alice would do to her before hand, so I pulled her other hand into mine and turned to face her.

"Goodnight, mademoiselle," I murmured as I lifted her hand and kissed it. While I was turning to walk away, I heard her whisper, "Goodnight, Edward."

* * *

**how was that? im pretty proud of that chapter. now all you have to do is click that little review button and leave a comment. it doesnt have to be much. even if it's just a little "great job" i will be very happy. we are shooting for 7. if you review, you get a shout out in the next chapter's author note (once i write it of course.) so go and review! **

**~ORD~**


	7. Take a Chance on Me

**hello people!!!!!!! im back after i dont know how long. but, as a reward for your patience, i have written and extra-long chapter! yay for everyone! we didnt reach my goal of 7 reviews for last chapter, but im updating anyway cuz all my readers are amazing. but, just so you know, if you like the story i really want you to review. it tells me how many people enjoy my writing and how many people dont. on that note, here are my ever faithful reviewers: pixiedancer22; XskullXloverX; Lady Eleanor Boleyn; sprinter1**

**starting with this chapter, im going to be including a lot of music. some songs will have the lyrics, some wont. i just think that since music is such a huge part of my life, i should include it in my writing--- another huge part of my life. here are this chapter's songs of inspiration in order of appearance: Over the Rainbow--- Eva Cassidy; When She Loved Me--- Sarah McLachlan; Take a Chance on Me--- ABBA**

**disclaimer: as always i dont own twilight, its characters, cedarburg, any of the shops, or any of the songs included. all i get is the plot and some awesome music on iTunes.**

**

* * *

**

BPOV

"Ow!" I practically screamed. It was 12:37 in the morning and Alice was fitting my costume for the wine tasting. I wasn't even allowed to see it; the demon pixie had me blindfolded.

"Well, if you would stop fidgeting, I wouldn't prick you," Alice exasperated, sticking me with yet another pin.

I sighed. "I can't help it, Alice. You know I fidget when I get tired. I've been up since six this morning--- well I guess it's yesterday now--- and have been on my feet until 8. Then, when I get home, you keep me up well into the night! I'm exhausted!"

"Well, you wanted a good costume for tomorrow," she countered while pricking me once again.

"Yes, but I didn't expect you to hand make it from bolts of fabric and make me stay up while you sewed it together!"

"I needed you up so I could do the fitting and add the pieces that can't be added with the machine," she told me as if staying up 'til passed midnight making dresses was normal.

"Can't we do this tomorrow?" I sounded like a whiney child, but what can I say? I was dead tired.

"Calm down, Bella. I'm done. Now, step down so I can help you out." Quickly--- as quickly as anyone as clumsy as me can--- I stepped off the footstool Alice had me standing on and let her ease the dress off me. "I have a little sewing left to do, but I don't need you for this part, so you can go to bed."

I took the scarf away from my eyes and saw Alice sitting in front of a mound of fabric wielding a needle and thread. "Don't you have work tomorrow?" I asked.

"Rose can handle by herself," she answered without looking up. "Oh, and I'm coming to get you from Amy's at 4:30 so we have time to give you a quick nap and then get you ready."

"Thanks," I yawned and went to my room for the few hours of sleep I had left.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

After what felt like minutes, I was awake again and getting the shop ready for the day. My few co-workers were arriving and getting ready for the day as well.

"Okay, people," I said to the other three people here. "I got a fairly big order last night before I closed up. I"m gonna take this one personally, but I'm probably going to need some help. Tanya, do you think you couild give me a hand?"

"No problem," the strawberry-blonde replied. After my little announcement, we all set to work. Tanya and I figured out a system to how we would fill this order as quickly as possible. We both mixed and molded at the same time and then did the decorations once the chocolates cooled. This gave us time to get to know each other a little more.

"So, I hear you're leaving early to get ready for Edward Cullen's wine tasting," Tanya commented after a half an hour of small talk.

"Word gets around fast here, I guess." That was the only thing I could think to say. Part of me wanted to deny the fact, but another part wanted to scream it to the heavens.

"Well, I'm happy for you," she said with a smile. "Edwared is a great guy. He'll be good to you."

This kind of shocked me. I still wasn't sure if we were going as dates or not. "Do you know him well?" I asked lamely.

"Yeah." Her smile saddened a bit. "He and I went out a couple years ago, but we both agreed that there was nothing there after a while. We're still friends, though."

"Oh." I didn't realize that they had been together. How could I compete with someone as beautiful and interesting as Tanya?

Seeing my distressed look, she changed the subject slightly. "What about you? Did you have a beau back in Washington?"

My face went from slightly distressed to slightly depressed in a matter of five seconds. "I did," I said, hoping she wouldn't press for details.

She looked at me with concern in her eyes. "What happened, honey?"

I felt like I could trust Tanya, but I wasn't ready to tell her the whole story. So, I gave her the main gist. "He cheated on me."

"Oh, Bella. I'm so sorry," she said as she gave me a quick but caring hug. That hug meant a lot to me. It meant that I had another great friend to count on.

"It's okay," I replied. "It doesn't hurt as much now." That wasn't entirely true. It still hurt just as much, but I was learning to cope. "Now, let's get these chocolates chilled so we can chill for a bit."

We both laughed, and our conversation ended on a good note.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Wake up, Bella!" Alice yelled from the kitchen. It felt like I had only just fallen asleep again. After Alice picked me up at 4:30 sharp, she let me take a half an hour nap.

"It's only five," I complained. "Edward's not coming for 2 hours." Would it really take that long to get ready?

"Well, despite the fact that you're already beautiful, making you drop-dead gorgeous takes time." For the past two months, Alice and Rosalie had been getting on my case about how I didn't see myself clearly. They thought I was beautiful, but I knew I wasn't.

"Whatever, Alice. Just make sure it doesn't take too long, okay?" After rooming with Alice for four years in college, I learned that the less I fought when she wanted to play Bella Barbie, the less torture I received.

She squealed at her easy victory. "Okay. Get in the shower, then come to my room for hair and makeup." With that, she pushed me into the bathroom.

The hot water succeeded in calming my nerves marginally. Despite my seemingly calm facade, I was freaking out. I jumped when Rose banged on the door and yelled, "Hurry up or Alice will kill both of us!"

I chuckled a bit, then turned the water off and hopped out. Quickly, I dried myself off, put my underwear back on, wrapped a towel around me, and padded across the hall to Alice's room.

"It's about time! Now sit down so we can do your hair." I noticed that both Alice and Rose had already done their hair and makeup. They were probably saving the most time for me, as usual.

Not wanting to be sitting there in the first place, I just closed my eyes and tried to get a little more sleep while they played with my hair. I occasionally felt the blast of a hair dryer or the tug of a curling iron, but those were easy enough to ignore.

Once they were finished styling my hair, they moved on to my face--- which, unfortunately, I had to be more awake for. They started with simple foundation; I requested Bare Minerals because my face broke out if I use anything else. No need to add blush; I could manage that on my own. Then came the eyes. From what I heard, they were trying to play up the brown of my eyes. I felt them add liner, eye shadow, and mascara--- waterproof of course--- but I had no idea what it looked like. After that, they applied a light lip gloss that felt kind of cool and minty.

Finally, once I was deemed presentable, I was allowed to stand up and be eased into my dress. "Now, Bella, close your eyes so I can lead you to the mirror." I wasn't exactly sure who spoke, but I obeyed blindly.

When I opened my eyes, I was stunned into silence. There before me stood the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had big brown eyes that were accentuated by dark eye shadow and liner, giving them a smokey look; her lips were full and glossy to perfection; her hair was pulled back from her face with rhinestone pins and cascaded down her back in hundreds of chocolate ringlets that glittered when the light hit them.

The dress was the most astounding of all. The bodice hugged each curve precisely and was hung with a sheer, aqua material--- I think Alice called it 'illusion.' The skirt floated away from the body in triangles to the knee and was draped with the illusion. There were loose sleeves that fell to the elbow that were also made of the illusion. The whole dress was colored like the ocean, making the girl look like a goddess of the sea.

It took me a few minutes to realize that the girl in the mirror was me. Once I did, my face broke into a huge grin and I hugged both my friends tightly. "You guys are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much!"

"Now, all we need is the mask." Rose turned me around to the mirror again and tied my expertly crafted mask on. It was midnight blue with gems coming off the eyes in waves. It tied in the back with two teal ribbons.

We hugged and giggled for a few minutes until we heard the doorbell ring. Immediately, I started to panic. "Breathe, Bella," Alice commanded. "Put these on." She handed me a pair of midnight blue kitten heels, which I quickly slipped on. I gave them both another quick hug before they pushed me towards the front door.

As soon as I opened the door and gazed into Edward's impossibly green eyes,I felt more confident. I could do this. As long as Edward was with me, even as just a friend, I could do practically anything.

EPOV

I was so nervous as I approached her door. We still hadn't cleared up whether we were going as dates or not; that made me freak out even more. I'd have to be the perfect date, but not go over the top romantic, just to make sure I didn't screw this up.

A couple minutes after I rang the bell, the door swung open and there stood Bella, my beautiful Bella. She looked like a goddess of the ocean; no, she looked like the ocean itself. Her grace, even when standing still, emanated the beauty of the sea.

"Hey, Edward," she said nervously, blushing a little. What did she have to be nervous about? She was practically perfect in every way. I was the one who had to worry. "Come on in. I just have to get the chocolates out of the fridge."

She led me to the kitchen, but I was mesmerized by her sheer perfection. That's when I made my decision: I had to ask her out. Tonight. I had to make her mine.

Just then I remembered the white rose I had cut from the yard for her. "Um, I got this for you," I said quietly.

"Thank you, Edward," she said with a small smile as she took the flower from my hand. "Would you mind helping me put it in my hair? Alice gave me a pin 'just incase.' I think she knew something."

I chuckled a little as I took the rose and adjusted it near her ear. "Well, you know Alice. When she gets one of those feelings, she just has to act on it." She nodded as I pinned the rose to her hair. "Shall we go?"

She nodded and took my arm. In this fashion, we walked out to my car.

BPOV

While we drove to the winery, I wanted to say something, anything, but I couldnt think of what to say. So, I just gazed out my window, occasionally sneaking a glance at Edward. At the house, all I noticed was his face, so close to mine. Now, I saw that he was wearing a jet black suit with a blood red tie. He hadn't put his mask on yet, but he was probably waiting 'til just before everyone came.

I still hadn't figured out whether we were going as friends or as dates. I mean, he was acting like he normally did around me. Then again, he opened my car door for me, _and_ he gave me a rose.

"Do you like it?" he asked, successfully startling me. I must have unconsciously touched the flower in my hair.

"It's beautiful," I replied truthfully. It was the perfect shade of creme and looked like it had just been cut from the bush.

He smiled crookedly. "I could say the same about you." I blushed and looked out the window to find that we had arrived. "Don't do that," he said as he cut off the engine. "I like your blush." So quickly that I didn't have time to blush even more, he had gotten out of the car and was opening my door for me.

"Your mother raised a gentleman," I remarked as I got out of his Volvo with the chocolates.

"It's my opinion that chivalry is the best way to a woman's heart," he said, taking the chocolates out of my hands. "And I'm nothing if not polite."

I giggled a little, and we walked arm in arm into the Cedar Creek Settlement. Fortunately, I didn't fall down, which would have pulled Edward down with me.

Once we walked into the little gathering area, I noticed a sleek, baby grand piano in the corner. "Is this a musical tasting?" I asked with a laugh.

At that, he outright laughed, a music in an of itself, and said, "No, but afterwards we have music for whoever wants to stay. Usually Rose plays the piano and Jasper plays guitar, but sometimes I play a song or two."

My curiosity suddenly made itself known. "You play?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I stopped for a while, but I've started again recently."

That just piqued my curiosity even more. "Why not?" I asked, realizing a little too late that my question was probably very personal and I wouldn't get an answer.

He just smiled, though, and said, "I'll tell you someday."

Just then, Jasper came in with Alice, who was looking even more like a pixie in her short pink dress that floated like a cloud. "Edward," Jasper called, "you left your mask at home. You didn't think I'd let you forget it, did you?"

Edward smiled sheepishly and easily caught the black mask Jasper tossed to him. "I don't like wearing a mask," he confided to me. "It makes me feel like I have something to hide. I don't like feeling like that."

I took the mask out of his hands and helped him put it on, tying the blood red ribbon behind his head. "Well, I think it makes you look more debonair," I commented as I turned him around and studied his face.

"Well, yours makes you look even more alluring," he murmured. "Did I mention that you look like the ocean?"

His face was so close to mine that if I moved just the slightest bit, my lips would be touching his. He closed his eyes, and I felt his forehead rest against mine as I did the same. The whole world managed to disappear, and it was just him and me.

"Bella," Alice called, taking the moment from sweet to awkward. I backed a step away from Edward and took a deep breath before walking over to Alice to help with whatever she was doing

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The rest of the evening passed without event. Edward and I talked a little, but it was just friendly conversation, nothing more.

Once the wine was gone and the masks were removed, Emmett and Jasper pulled the piano out and everyone who hadn't left (which was quite a few) gathered around it. Rosalie played a wide variety of music, and sometimes Alice sang along into the microphone to much applause from the remaining guests. Jasper occasionally joined in on the guitar or played his own solo.

"Why don't you get up there and sing?" Alice asked while Jasper and Rose played a duet.

"I don't know, Alice," I said warily. I loved to sing, but I hadn't sang in front of a crowd, even a small one, in years. "I'm not really that good."

"Are you kidding me? Your amazing, Bella! Come on. Jasper and Rose will be up there with you."

"Fine," I sighed. Alice always won in the end. "I'm only sing one or two songs, though." No need to push it.

"Yay!" she squealed.

Before I knew it, Jasper and Rose were finished and I was walking up to the 'stage.' "Hey, Jasper," I said while Rose walked away. "Do you know Eva Cassidy's 'Over the Rainbow?'"

"Yeah. I'll shorten the solo in the middle and let you know when to come in." He sat back down on his bar stool and grabbed the microphone from the stand in front of me.

"Alright everyone, we have some fresh talent tonight," he started, giving me a reassuring smile. "This here is Bella Swan and she'll be singing 'Over the Rainbow.'" With that, he started the chord progression.

Once my part came up, I took a deep breath and sang.

EPOV

After Jasper's brief inro, he started the chord progression and Bella began singing.

It was the Eva Cassidy version--- the best version out there--- but it sounded so much better. Her voice sounded like an angel's, and I found myself falling head-over-heels in love. Where Eva Cassidy's voice sounds like a diamond in the rough, Bella's was full and rich and smooth and absolutely perfect.

Once she was finished, the small audience exploded into applause, and there were several shouts for an encore--- including my own.

Bella just beamed through her vivid blush. "Alright, I'll sing one more." She motioned for Rosalie and whispered something in her ear. Rose sat down at the piano and Bella said, "Here's a little Sarah McLachlan for you."

Rose started with some simple chords, and then Bella's beautiful voice filled the room once again.

"When somebody loved me  
Everything was beautiful  
Every hour we spent together  
Lives within my heart

"And when she was sad  
I was there to dry her tears  
And when she was happy  
So was I  
When she loved me

"Through the summer and the fall  
We had each other, that was all  
Just she and I together  
Like it was meant to be

"And when she was lonely  
I was there to comfort her  
And I knew that  
She loved me

"So the years went by  
I stayed the same  
But she began to drift away  
I was left alone  
Still I waited for the day  
When she'd say  
'I will always love you'"

Her voice broke on the last couple words, and then her she stopped completely. Rosalie let the last chords linger as she looked to her friends in concern.

"I'm sorry," Bella muttered and then ran out of the room. I ran after her to find her sobbing on the steps outside.

"Oh, Bella." I sat next to her and pulled her into my lap, wrapping my arms around her. "It's okay. I'm here. Everything's okay. What's wrong?" Gently, I rocked her back and forth and stroked her soft brown hair soothingly.

"I'm sorry," she managed to choke out. "I, I thought... Oh, Edward!" Her sobbing increased and she tightened her grip on my neck.

"It's okay," I soothed. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Everything will be okay." I just let her cry. I didn't care that my suit would be ruined (which I wouldn't have cared about anyway) or that everyone inside was probably freaking out. All that I cared about was Bella.

Eventually, the sobbing stopped and the tears slowed and she loosened her hold on my neck. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Edward," she said hoarsly. "I thought I could handle that song. I guess he just cut me too deep."

She rested her head on my shoulder, and I instinctively tightened my arms around her; I hated the thought of anyone hurting her. "Who, Bella?" It took all I had to keep my voice calm, for my sake more than hers.

"Tyler," she replied softly. "My ex-boyfriend back in Washington. We went out for a few years, but then he cheated on me, and I moved here."

"Oh, Bella. I'm so sorry." How could someone be so stupid as to throw away someone as amazing and beautiful as Bella like that?

"It's okay," she said. "I guess I just won't ever be good enough for anyone."

That just about broke my heart. Not only had this guy cheated on her, but he shattered her pride. "No, Bella. That's not true. You are the most amazing woman I have ever met, and this Tyler's a complete idiot for throwing you away like that."

She pulled back to look at me. "But I'm no good. No one deserves someone as broken as me, least of all you."

"That's where you're wrong," I countered as I gazed into her fragile chocolate eyes. "You are way better than I could ever hope to deserve. And I don't care that you're broken. I want to help put you back together, no matter how long that takes. Take a chance on love again. Take a chance on me."

She looked into my eyes for another moment, then rested her head on my shoulder again. "Okay."

I was so unbelievably happy at tha moment, I had to take the opportunity presented to me. "What would you say to going on a date with me next Friday?" It's not how I imagined asking her out, but when the opportune moment comes along, you just can't pass it up.

She just nodded in agreement and sighed contentedly. I stood up, pulling her with me. At that moment, I knew that I was in love with this woman. She had so quickly become my everything, and nothing else mattered

BPOV

We sat on those steps for a moment that could have been an hour and I wouldn't have known. I was in such a complete state of bliss. Nothing else in the world mattered except Edward's arms around me.

All to soon, he stood up, pulling me with him. I looked at him, slightly reluctantly, but he just smiled and said, "I think we should go back inside. Pretty soon everyone will be coming out to see if we died."

"You're probably right," I giggled as we walked back inside to find everyone practically freaking out. Everyone asked me if I was alright, and I told all of them that I was fine, which I was at that point.

Just then, Jasper motioned to Edward and Emmett, and they both went to stand behind him. "We have time for one more song," he announced, looking straigt at Alice. "This one is for Alice, the most amazing and wonderful woman in the world."

After Jasper's intro, Edward and Emmett started the background vocals for 'Take a Chance on Me.' Then Jasper started the lead, and I knew exactly what was going on.

"If you change your mind  
I'm the first in line  
Honey I'm still free  
Take a chance on me  
If you need me let me know  
Gonna be around  
If you got no place to go  
When your feelin' down

"If you're all alone  
When the pretty birds have flown  
Honey I'm still free  
Take a chance on me  
Gonna do my very best  
And there ain't no lie  
If you put me to the test  
If you let me try

"Take a chance on me  
Take a chance on me"

Edward and Emmett kept up their part, but Jasper stopped and got down on one knee in front of Alice. "Alice, from the moment I first saw you, I knew you were the one. I promise I will always be there for you and always love you forever." At this point he pulled out a little box and opened it to reveal a delicate silver ring with a deep sapphire set into it. "So what do you say? Will you take a chance on me?"

"Oh, Jasper! Yes, yes, yes!" Alice squealed, and Jasper picked her up and spun her around while he kissed her. The background music stopped and everyone applauded. Edward came back to me and wound an arm around my waist.

I looked up to see him grinning that crooked grin that I'd come to love. "Will _you_ take a chance on_ me_?" I just nodded, and he enveloped me in the most loving, caring hug ever. This had come to be the best night of my life.

* * *

**so how was that for a chapter? did you like it? was is too sappy? please let me know in a review!!!!!!! also, i will take suggestions for Edward and Bella's date. i have an idea of what they will do, but some of you amazing people may have a better idea. please let me know if you liked it so i can get a confidence boost**

**i definitely suggest you listen to all the songs in this chapter. they are all amazing, and the Eva Cassidy version of Over the Rainbow is truly the best one out there. just letting you know. now go and review! i may have to set mike the racoon on you if you dont! (jk but peas review)**

**~ORD~**


	8. Hiatus

**hello my ever faithful readers. no i havent dropped off the face of the earth. and i'm really sorry about doing this to you, but this isnt a real chapter. i know you all probably hate me now; to be honest, i'm hating myself a little for doing this to you, but i'm truly very sorry.**

**to get to the point, i'm having a little trouble writing at the moment. i know whats going to happen next and some other key events that will happen, but i'm not quite sure how to get there from where i am. long story short, im having major writer's block, which may have been influenced by the start of school, rehearsals for the musical (crazy for you), getting ready for state honors choir (which is next weekend), and lots of stress. ive decided--- much to my dismay--- to put this story on hiatus. i hate to do this to you, but i'm having lots of trouble. once i rework a few things and get back on track, i'll put up the next chapter.**

**again i'm really very sorry to do this to you, but i need to gather my thoughts, rework things, and get back into the writing swing.**

**~ORD~**


End file.
